Discover The Interconnectivity Of Our World With “Reel Stories. Real Change.” At The One Earth Film Festival April 17 to April 23, 2024

Apr 2, 2024 | Art Insights

Written By: Skye Waters

This year marks the 13th anniversary of One Earth Film Festival, the leading environmental film festival in the Midwest, organized by The One Earth Collective. The Collective offers various platforms to help individuals understand climate change, sustainability, and the impact they can make. The festival runs for a week and includes in-person screenings for five days, followed by two days of virtual viewings. During the festival, viewers can expect to see an inspiring and diverse range of films.

In recognition of the importance and interconnectivity of the experiences and voices of everyday people. The 2024 theme “Reel Stories. Real Change” features the impact storytelling has on driving significant change in attitudes and behaviors regarding climate change, and the advocacy for environmental justice —and women filmmakers have made an ample showing this season.

The films showcase climate action topics like water conservation, energy, fights against environmental racism, sustainable food, and regenerative agriculture. After the screening of the films, there will be discussions that feature a diverse group of people, including climate scientists, activists, film subjects, and filmmakers. These discussions aim to raise global awareness about critical environmental issues and provide the audience with practical measures to address climate change. Moreover, these discussions will equip audiences with the necessary tools to advocate for environmental justice within their communities.

“Since its inception, and in this crucial election year, One Earth has stressed the importance of taking collective action,” said Ana Garcia Doyle, Executive Director of One Earth Collective. “Film is a powerful way to spur us toward social change and collective action. Much environmental communication heavily depends on data, but that’s not going to change hearts. The stories told through film invoke our empathy and spur our will to act. We must pull together to make a real impact. The urgency is now.”

We couldn’t agree more. Here are some of the favorite picks from our Art Insight’s team:

Here are some of the films that are featured in this year’s festival: